The Fallen Woman (A Regency Romance) by K.L. O'Keefe Read Free Book Online Page B

I’ve seen him. Maybe he’s had some sort of accident.”
    “Or maybe it’s just a walking stick? Gentlemen carry those.”
    “Well, whatever it is, it looks like he’s using it as a cane,” Mr. Lennox added lazily.
    “Such a fancy carriage!” Leona observed. “I suppose that makes sense. He is, after all, a viscount.”
    “Hmm. Well, I don’t think his pockets are as vast as they could be, but he’s the best I could arrange in a short amount of time. He’s rich enough.”
    Leona tried to reclaim the view of her fiancé, but her father refused to budge from the window. “He’s not so bad. I was expecting him to look like some kind of ogre. He’s not what I’d call handsome, but he has a nice face.”
    Mr. Lennox gave his daughter another gentle shove. “He’s coming, Leona. Go upstairs. Give us gentlemen a chance to chat, will you? I’m sure there are some final arrangements that need to be made.”
    Turning toward the stairs, Leona quietly countered, “you make it sound like you’re selling a horse.”
    If he heard his daughter’s remark, Mr. Lennox ignored her. He barked some quick orders to the butler and hurried to the nearest sitting room, awaiting the viscount’s arrival. Mr. Lennox tried to hide the anticipation from his face. He needed to get his daughter off his hands as quickly as possible. If his plan didn’t work, everyone would know what sort of daughter he had. His friends would shun him! He’d be blacklisted at his favorite clubs! He couldn’t stand for that, could he?
    A few minutes later, the butler announced “Lord Randall to see you, sir,” and ushered a tall, gaunt-cheeked man into the room.
    “Good evening, my lord,” Mr. Lennox greeted the viscount, hopping to his feet. Tall and lean, Lord Randall towered above him. He was a slightly intimidating figure to a stout, portly man like Mr. Lennox. “Or… uh… it’s rather like good morning , isn’t it?”
    “Yes,” Lord Randall agreed, his thin lips twitching into a smile. “I hope you are well.”
    “Very well, sir. How was your journey?”
    “Short,” the viscount answered with a chuckle. “At present, I’m still living in London. My townhouse isn’t too far from here, actually. But… as I said in my letter, I have plans to move to Berkshire as soon as I marry your daughter.”
    “Yes. Very good.” Out of sight, out of mind , Mr. Lennox mused.
    “Is that her, sir?” As he spoke, Tristan nodded in the direction of a portrait on the wall.
    “Ah, yes. That’s my Leona. Of course, she was a bit younger when she sat for that portrait.”
    “She looks beautiful. She’s… just as I remember her.” As Tristan stared at the picture of the angelic beauty, her image tugged at his heartstrings. He hadn’t even met her face-to-face, and he was already feeling like a villain. He wondered if it would be impossible to look into the eyes of that beautiful creature and lie to her. How would she react if she knew he didn’t have long to live?
    How would her father react?
    “So… right… the wedding.” Mr. Lennox rubbed the palms of his hands together, looking sinister as he did. “Let’s not waste any time, shall we? Would you like a cigar? A brandy?” He opened up a box of cigars and withdrew one for himself.
    “No. I really shouldn’t.”
    “Very well. So, we both expressed a desire to arrange a wedding soon. Very soon. Is there any reason why we shouldn’t schedule it as early as… next week?”
    “That would suit me fine, Mr. Lennox. But there’s something I must tell you.”
    The older man didn’t hear a word he said. It was like Mr. Lennox was in a trance. “I thought about announcing the engagement in the paper, but… honestly, I don’t want a lot of people turning up. I think it would be better if we kept this between friends and family.”
    In Mr. Lennox’s mind, that list included himself, Leona, Lord Randall and Leona’s maid. Anyone else might suspect he was patching up a scandal with a